Knowing how much New Orleanians love their eggplant, P.S. of Cincinnati, Ohio, shared a recipe that she was inspired to make after a visit to the cafeteria at the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum's in London. It was like a ratatouille with a crumb topping. The museum sent her the ingredients, and she made the pie herself.

"This is a comforting dish on a cold, gray day and great for vegetarians," she writes.

Makes 4 servings

FILLING:

1 large eggplant

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup crushed tomatoes

1 can chickpeas, drained (optional)

1 small onion, slivered

1 green bell pepper, cut in large dice

1 yellow or red bell pepper, cut in large dice

Wash the eggplant and dry well. Do not peel. Cut off the ends and cut into cubes about 1¤½ inches. Lay cubes on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt; let sit about 30 minutes. Dry the eggplant with the paper towel. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and fry the eggplant just until the oil is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining filling ingredients. Place in a large baking dish (or individual baking dishes), lightly greased with olive oil. Sprinkle topping (below) over the mixture and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to sit in the oven for another 15 minutes. Serve warm.